Fruit-drier



, A. H. IVICINTYRE.

FRUIT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6| 19I9.

1 ,327,486, Patented Jan. 6,1920. f

'2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. f. 1 wf/Amig A. H. NICINTYRE. FRUIT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AuGIS. I9I9.

Patented Jan. 6,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NESSES v INVENTOI? 5%@ @f ff/f/vg//I///ff onrrnn sirenes ALLEN n. ncINTYRE, or

earns@ ernten.

TARIFA, FLORIDA., ASSGNOR T MACHINERY CIO., 0F

TAMPA, FLRIDA, A L RPORATION.

FRUIT-Lumen.

noemen.

Specification et l'iettersylatent.

Ilatented Jan. 3, 1920.

To all-whom t may concern:

Be it lmown that l, ALLEN H. MolN'rrRE, a. citizen of Canada, and a resident of Tampa, 'in the county 0f Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Fruit-Drier, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description'.

The invention relates to fruit driers for drying freshly Washed citrus fruit prior to AWrapping andy packing the sanfte2 onderlen, for instance, as shown anddescribed in the Letters Patent of the United States, .No

1,214,234, granted to Lee Bronson Skinner fon Jannarv 3G, 19917.

The objct of the invention1 to provide a new andimproved fruit drier arranged to eectivel y dry 'the fruit by subjecting 1t to a current of air while alternately moving' the fruit bodily along for a short distance and then rolling 1tv down an incline, and

repeating these alternate actions a number of times for the air to reach every portion ont the surface of the fruit. Another object is to move the fruit along Without danger of bruising the same. Another object is to provide a fruit drier of exceedingly compact form and capable ofrhandling a. large amount of fruit in a given time.'

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed ont in the sialims. i

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of `this speciication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the'views.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved fruit drier;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, section of the same on te line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross Section of a Vportion of one of the conveyors with parts shown in elevation.

The improved fruit drier is mounted on a suitably vconstructed casing or trarne l() provided on top with a. blower 11 or other means for circulating drying air through the casing 10. The 'Ic-lower 11 is driven from a drivingshaft l2 connected 'by pulley and belt or other connecting means 13 with other machinery for rotating the driving shaft l2. Within the casing 'l0 are arranged` conveying means flor the fruit, andthe conveying means shown in Figs. 1 and@ consists of two endless conveyors 15 and 16 of the rollerl or slat type, and located one above the other, the conveyer l5 passing around "the Wheels 17 and 18 mounted in the casing l0 and of which the Wheel 17 is driven V"from the main shaft 12 by a, suitable :n rocket Wheel and chain connection 19, as indicated in Figs. 1 yand 2. This conveyor 15 provides an upper and a lower "run, and the fruit to be dried is discharged onto the upper irnn by a suitable chute 20 arranged on the top of the casing l0. The endless conveyor 16 is provided with kliour horizontal rnns ,and lpasses around wheels 25, 26, 27, Q8 and 29 journaled in the cask ing l0 and of which the wheel 25 is the driven one and is for this purpose connected by a sprocket Wheel and chain connection with the 'wheel 17 previously mentioned. When the machine is running air is circulated through-the casing l0 by the blower l1 and a similar traveling movement is given to the conveyors l5 and 16.

.Each of the conveyor belts 15 and 16 is inade in sections, each section comprising a plurality of rollers or slats 40 mounted 011 links /ll adapted to swing on pivots 42 olf' endless chains 43, the pivots 42 being provided with rollers 44 adapted -lto engage the corresponding sprocket wheels "i7, 18, Q5, 26, 27, #28 and :29 'lor the latter to impart a travsling motion to the eonveyers. The upper run or the upper conveyor 15 is adapted to travel over supports 50, 51 mounted in the easing 10 and yspaced apart to provide an opening 52 between the 'supports 50 and 51 for the sections l0 of the conveyer 15 to swingdownward into an inclined or dumping position and onto an' incline 58 leading from the rear end of the support 5l in the reverse direction in which the upper run is traveling, the lower end of the incline 53 leading onto the 'top of the lower run of the conveyor 15. "it will be noticed that the fruit discharged by the chate 20 onto the upper run ofthe conveyor 15 is carried bodily along by the latter until the corresponding section 40 swings down in the opening direction. The lower run o1x the` conveyer l5 travels over supports 55, 56 spaced apart to provide an opening 57 for the corresponding section et() ot the conveyer 15 to swing down in and onto an incline 58 extending from the support 5G downwardly and torwardly to deliver the fruit onto the upper run of the lowerconveyer 16.

The upper run ci the conveyer 16 is mounted to travel on supports 60 and 61, spaced apart to provide an opening 62 ben tween them forv the sections L10 to swing down in onto an incline 63 extending from the rear end ot the support 61 downwardly and rearwardly and leading to the to of `tthe second run ot the conveyer 16. This construction' is repeated, that is, the second run passes over supports 76, 71 forming an opening 72 between them and below, which is arranged an incline 73 extending downwardly and forwardly from the support 71. The lower end of the incline 73y leads onto the top of the third run of the conveyer 16, and this third run is adapted to pass over supports 74, 75 forming an opening 76 between them, and below this opening 76 is arranged an incline 77 extending from the support 75 downwardly and rearwardly onto the top ot the lower-most run of the conveyer 16. The lowermost run 16 passes over supports 78, 79 forming an opening S0 between them, and below this opening is an incline 81 leading into a chute 90 for carryin .fruit from the machine. It will be noticed that by the arrangement described the fruit is bodily carried for a short distance on the runs of the conveyers 15 and 16, is then' allowedA to roll downward onto the next following run to be carried bodily along to the next opening, and during 'this bodily and rolling movement of the fruit the latter is subjected to the drying action of the air which latter thus reaches every particle of the surface of the fruit tu thoroughly dry the same. by the time it reaches the chute 90. The supports 50, 55,

60, 70, 74 .and 78 are preferably in the form of longitudinally extending slats to permit free passage of the`drying air. The supports 51, 56, 61, 71, and 79 and the inclines 53, 58, 63, 73, 77 and 81 are prefer-- ablymade solid. Suitable guard rails 100 are attached to the sides of the casing and are arranged at the sides to prevent the fruit from falling otf sidewise Jfrom the conveyers and inclines. The inclines 53, 58, 63, T3, 77 and 8l are preferably padded to prevent bruising of the fruit during the time the Jfruit rolls down the incline, as above eX- plained. l

It will be noticed that the drier is in exceedingly compact form and is capable of handling a large amount ot fruit in a given time, and the fruit is caused to travel a considerable distance and is constantly subjected to the drying action of the air to effectively dry the fruit.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. ln a fruit drying machine, an endless traveling conveyer made in sections, and spaced sectional supporting means for the said conveyer to support the conveyer sections during a portion oit the travel of the conveyer in supporting position tor the t'ruit and to allow the conveyer sections to move into dumping position during another 'portion ot the travel of the conveyer for the fruit to roll off.

2. In a fruit drying machine, an endless conveyer made in sections, supports spaced` apart and adapted to support the conveyer during its passage over the supports, the

conveyer sections being adapted to swing downward inthe. opening between the ends y ot' adjacent supports, and an incline below the said opening.

3. In a fruit drying machine, an endless conveyer iliade in sections, supports spaced apart and adapted to support the conveyer during its passage over the supports, the conveyer sections being adapted to swing downward in the opening between the ends of adjacent supports, and an incline` below the said opening and extending in the reverse direction ot the travel of the conveyer run passing over the adjacent supports, the said incline 'leading to-another run of the conve er.

4. n a fruit .drying machine, an endless conveyer having at, least two horizontally extending runs,lthe conveyer being made in ysections adapted to swing from horizontal into inclined position, supports for the runs ot the said conveyer and spaced apart to provide openings between adjacent supports for the conveyer sections to swing down, and inclines extending downward and rear-v ward from the rear ends of the said supports and leading toy a conveyer run next below.

5. In a fruit drying machine, an endless conveyer having at least two horizontally extending runs, the conveyer being made in sections adapted to swing from horizontal into inclined position, supports for the runs of the said conveyer and spaced apart to provide openings between adjacent supports for the conveyer sections to swing down, inclines extending downward and rearward from the rear ends of the said supports and leading to a conveyer run next below, and means for subjecting the fruit to the drying action of air while being bodily `moved by the supported conveyer sections and while rolling down the unsupported conveyer sections and the inclines.

ALLEN H. MCNTYRE. 

